The Upper Middle Rhine Valley between Bingen/Rüdesheim and Koblenz has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2002: a narrow gorge of vineyards and hilltop castles, where the river squeezes to about 160 metres wide at the Lorelei rock. This guide covers Rüdesheim am Rhein with the Niederwald Monument at the southern end, St. Goar with Rheinfels Castle, Bornich with the Lorelei plateau, Braubach with the Marksburg, and Koblenz with the Deutsches Eck and Ehrenbreitstein Fortress at the northern end.
There is no bridge across the Rhine between Koblenz and Mainz, so you cross by ferry, for example between Bingen and Rüdesheim or St. Goar and St. Goarshausen. Below you will find the sights we rate most highly, a day trip from Koblenz to the Lorelei, a two-day itinerary, how to get here from Frankfurt Airport, and the current closures: after a rockfall on 31 August 2026, the B 42 road, the steps up from the river and parts of the park at the Lorelei are closed. All details as of October 2026.
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Castles
Braubach
Marksburg Castle above the town of Braubach is the only medieval hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed, which makes it a must-see on any trip through the Rhine Gorge. Perched high above the river in the UNESCO-listed…
1. Never-destroyed castle above Braubach, seen on a 50-minute guided tour. English tours daily in summer and at 1:30 pm on winter weekends. Adults EUR 12; from 2 November open 11 am–4 pm.
Viewpoints
Bornich
The Lorelei (Loreley) near Sankt Goarshausen is the most famous rock on the Rhine River: a slate cliff about 130 meters high at the narrowest point of the Middle Rhine, inside the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. The l…
2. Slate cliff at the river's narrowest point with a plateau, visitor centre and views. After the 31 August 2026 rockfall, the B 42, the river steps and parts of the park are closed for an estimated three to five months.
Castles
Sankt Goar
Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar is the largest castle ruin on the Middle Rhine and one of the most exciting castles to explore in the Rhine Valley. Perched high above the river, it lets you wander through courtyards, ramparts and dark undergr…
3. The largest castle ruin on the Middle Rhine, above St. Goar, with 17th-century mine tunnels to explore – bring a torch. Adults EUR 6; some areas are closed for building work.
Monuments
Koblenz
The Deutsches Eck (German Corner) in Koblenz is the headland where the Moselle River flows into the Rhine, and one of Germany's most recognizable landmarks. A colossal equestrian statue of Emperor William I towers over the tip, while Ehren…
4. The headland where the Moselle meets the Rhine, crowned by a 37-metre equestrian monument to Emperor Wilhelm I and three sections of the Berlin Wall. Free and open around the clock.
Fortresses
Koblenz
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress towers above the Rhine in Koblenz and is one of the largest surviving fortresses in Europe. From its walls you look straight down on the Deutsches Eck, where the Moselle meets the Rhine, and far across the hills of…
5. Huge 1820s Prussian fortress with the classic view over the Deutsches Eck, reached by cable car across the Rhine. Combined cable car and fortress ticket EUR 21.90; winter hours 11 am–4 pm.
Monuments
Rüdesheim am Rhein
The Niederwald Monument above Rüdesheim am Rhein is one of Germany's best-known national monuments, crowned by a giant bronze Germania gazing out over the vineyards of the Rheingau. Built to celebrate the founding of the German Empire afte…
6. The Germania monument of 1883 above Rüdesheim's vineyards, free to visit. The cable car runs until 1 November 2026 and pauses 2–18 November; the Assmannshausen chairlift is out of service in 2026.
Start at the Deutsches Eck, then ride the cable car from Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer across the Rhine to Ehrenbreitstein Fortress (from 10 am). Allow two hours for the views and fortress courtyards.
Places: Deutsches Eck (German Corner) Ehrenbreitstein Fortress
About 12 km upriver on the right bank, by car on the B 42 or by train to Braubach. From the car park below the castle it is a few minutes on foot; from the village a steep 500-metre path. The tour takes about 50 minutes.
Places: Marksburg Castle
Continue to St. Goarshausen. The plateau and visitor hall are open despite the closures, but not the steps or the cliff-top viewpoint; a shuttle bus runs up from the station. Or take the ferry to St. Goar for Rheinfels Castle (last entry 4 pm off-season).
Places: Lorelei Rheinfels Castle
Ride the cable car from Rüdesheim's old town over the vineyards (EUR 12 return, children EUR 6) and walk through the 18th-century Ostein park. The usual loop via Assmannshausen is not possible in 2026 because the chairlift is broken.
Places: Niederwald Monument
Ferry to Bingen and travel down the left bank to St. Goar by train or car. Walk up or take bus 681. Allow about two hours for the ruins, tunnels and tower.
Places: Rheinfels Castle
Ferry from St. Goar to St. Goarshausen, then the shuttle bus up. Check the Lorelei tourist office notices first; parts of the park remain closed.
Places: Lorelei
Along the right bank to Braubach for the guided tour; the castle garden grows around 170 medieval plants.
Places: Marksburg Castle
Cable car up to Ehrenbreitstein for the view, then down to the Deutsches Eck as the fortress opposite is lit up.
Places: Ehrenbreitstein Fortress Deutsches Eck (German Corner)
By air. Frankfurt (FRA) is the nearest major airport. Trains from Frankfurt run to Wiesbaden and along the right bank to Rüdesheim, and via Mainz along the left bank to Bingen, St. Goar and Koblenz. Cologne/Bonn airport is an alternative for Koblenz.
By train. Both banks have railway lines. Left bank: Mainz – Bingen – St. Goar – Koblenz Hauptbahnhof, which also has ICE and IC trains. Right bank: Wiesbaden – Rüdesheim – St. Goarshausen – Braubach – Koblenz-Ehrenbreitstein. A shuttle bus runs from St. Goarshausen station up to the Lorelei plateau in Bornich. Germany's Deutschlandticket covers regional trains.
Ferries and boats. Car and passenger ferries link Bingen–Rüdesheim and St. Goar–St. Goarshausen. River cruise boats stop at Koblenz, Braubach, St. Goar and Rüdesheim, with far fewer sailings in winter.
By car. The B 9 runs along the left bank, the B 42 along the right. The B 42 is fully closed at the Lorelei between St. Goarshausen and Kaub since 28 September 2026; the official detour is long, and the shorter way to the plateau is via the hill villages Kaub – Weisel – Bornich.
Spring to autumn is the best time: boats run often, castles keep long hours, and the vineyards turn colour in late summer and autumn. Summer weekends and big events such as Rhein in Flammen fireworks make Koblenz and Rüdesheim very busy.
Autumn and winter 2026/27. Rock-clearing at the Lorelei is expected to take three to five months depending on weather, so the B 42, the river steps and the cliff-top viewpoint stay closed until then. The Rüdesheim cable car pauses 2–18 November and then runs daily 11 am–6 pm for the Christmas market (19 November to 23 December). From 2 November the Marksburg opens 11 am–4 pm (closed 24 and 25 December), and Ehrenbreitstein opens 11 am–4 pm from November to March. Rheinfels closes in snow and ice.
With kids, Rheinfels with its tunnels and Ehrenbreitstein with its moats, cannons and costumed guides work best.
By train via Frankfurt or Wiesbaden to Rüdesheim on the right bank, or via Mainz to Bingen, St. Goar and Koblenz on the left bank. Regional trains are covered by the Deutschlandticket. By car, take the B 42 on the right bank or the B 9 on the left, keeping in mind the B 42 closure at the Lorelei.
One day covers Koblenz, the Marksburg and either the Lorelei or Rheinfels. Two days let you add Rüdesheim and the Niederwald Monument and use the ferries to criss-cross the river.
Yes, with restrictions. After the rockfall of 31 August 2026 the B 42 at the Lorelei, the steps from the river and parts of the park including the cliff-top viewpoint are closed. The visitor hall and tourist office stay open; reach the plateau via the hill villages or by shuttle bus from St. Goarshausen.
The Marksburg, because it was never destroyed and its guided tour shows original rooms, with English tours available. For exploring on your own, especially with children, the Rheinfels ruins and tunnels are a good alternative.
Yes. Rheinfels has tunnels and walls to explore (children 6–14 EUR 3), Ehrenbreitstein has cannons, moats and costumed tours, the Marksburg runs special children's tours, and the cable cars in Koblenz and Rüdesheim are an adventure in themselves.
The region brings together attractions from these towns. Open a town guide or its list of attractions.
Viewpoints
Bornich
The Lorelei (Loreley) near Sankt Goarshausen is the most famous rock on the Rhine River: a slate cliff about 130 meters high at the narrowest point of the Middle Rhine, inside the Upper Middle Rhine Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. The l…
Castles
Braubach
Marksburg Castle above the town of Braubach is the only medieval hilltop castle on the Middle Rhine that was never destroyed, which makes it a must-see on any trip through the Rhine Gorge. Perched high above the river in the UNESCO-listed…
Monuments
Rüdesheim am Rhein
The Niederwald Monument above Rüdesheim am Rhein is one of Germany's best-known national monuments, crowned by a giant bronze Germania gazing out over the vineyards of the Rheingau. Built to celebrate the founding of the German Empire afte…
Old towns & squares
Koblenz
Most visitors stand at the Deutsches Eck, look out over the Rhine and Moselle and then ride the cable car up to the fortress. Yet the real Koblenz is just a few steps inland: the Old Town is the city's original core, with three Romanesque…
Castles
Sankt Goar
Rheinfels Castle in St. Goar is the largest castle ruin on the Middle Rhine and one of the most exciting castles to explore in the Rhine Valley. Perched high above the river, it lets you wander through courtyards, ramparts and dark undergr…
Monuments
Koblenz
The Deutsches Eck (German Corner) in Koblenz is the headland where the Moselle River flows into the Rhine, and one of Germany's most recognizable landmarks. A colossal equestrian statue of Emperor William I towers over the tip, while Ehren…
Fortresses
Koblenz
Ehrenbreitstein Fortress towers above the Rhine in Koblenz and is one of the largest surviving fortresses in Europe. From its walls you look straight down on the Deutsches Eck, where the Moselle meets the Rhine, and far across the hills of…
Museums
Koblenz
It all began with a priest who loved paintings: Joseph Gregor Lang collected over 200 pictures in his small parsonage in Neuendorf and left them to his home town in 1834. They became the Mittelrhein Museum, one of Germany's oldest civic mu…
Palaces
Koblenz
Stolzenfels Castle (Schloss Stolzenfels) near Koblenz is a neo-Gothic palace high above the Rhine and a key example of Prussian Rhine Romanticism. It belongs to the UNESCO World Heritage site Upper Middle Rhine Valley and faces the mouth o…